Centrist Senate Dems may offer compromise on oil spill liability

[babylonsister]

Can someone pls. explain why we should be compromising on anything?


Centrist Senate Dems may offer compromise on oil spill liability
By Darren Goode - 08/03/10 05:15 AM ET


Oil-state and centrist Democrats may unveil a compromise Tuesday designed to set a path forward on legislation responding to the Gulf of Mexico spill this year.

Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) said Monday that it would address setting aside revenue from oil and gas production in federal waters for states with production off their coasts. It also seeks to end a stalemate over how much to increase the current $75 million liability limit oil companies face for offshore spills, and could alter the Obama administration’s temporary ban on deepwater drilling.

“We’ve crafted something I think might get us there,” Begich told reporters.

He dismissed the notion that an agreement could not be reached in the few days before senators leave for a five-week summer break Friday. “It’s only Monday,” he said. “We might lay the groundwork enough now.” He declined to offer details.

Begich met Monday with Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) and others and staff worked over the weekend as well, he said.

But time has probably run out, at least for now.

“I don’t think we’re making much progress, unfortunately, so I don’t think the bill’s going to go anywhere,” Sen Mary Landrieu (D-La.) said of a separate oil spill and energy strategy Senate Democratic leaders have proposed. “But maybe when we come back, cooler heads will prevail.”

more...

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/112299-centrist-dems-may-unveil-spill-bill-compromise

[alsame]

1. Anyone shocked? nt

[marmar]

2. Quelle surprise !!!!

nt

[txlibdem]

3. You murdered my brother and his entire family

But I want to compromise with you. Maybe you could just gimme a $20 bill and say "sorry?"

[Deep13]

5. Wow. I am so sorry for your loss.

:-(

[txlibdem]

10. Just making a point

My brothers are all still quite well. Thank you for the thought, though.

The point is, what the hell is this idiot thinking by compromising with murderers. Did everyone forget about the 11 people who died on that Horizon rig? Someone was responsible for their deaths. It was either murder or manslaughter. Who is going to jail over that? You don't compromise with a thug who kills your brother and his family, and you don't compromise with corporate murderers. You throw them in jail or put them in front of a firing squad.

[Deep13]

agreed. nt

[Deep13]

4. If this were the 1940s, they'd want to compromise with the Nazis. nt

[rurallib]

8. yep

[alsame]

11. They'd want to appear 'bipartisan'. nt

[Romulox]

6. I don't know the law of the sea, but...

But this "cap" can only be as to damage that occurs at sea itself. There can be no cap as to oil that reaches the shore and causes damage to homes, businesses, and lands. In my analysis, this (that is, the way the law of torts intersects the law of real property) is one of the only areas of law in which the Constitution is so air-tight as to entirely preclude the Federal Government from interfering.

So, all that said, there may be a "liability cap" as to what the Federal Government will get from BP (and let's be honest, the Obama admin is aching to bail BP out, anyhow, so this is just another end to that goal inasmuch as the Federal government will pay cleanup costs.) But there is no liability cap as to individual litigants affected by oils from this spill which have reached US coastlines.

Am I wrong?

[ThomWV]

7. By what authority do they give away another man's compensation?

[rurallib]

9. Oh, please, congress - send us the bill

and extend our apologies to BP for doing anything to upset them.